TORONTO, ONTARIO – June 8, 2020 - Humber College has received nearly $1 million from the Future Skills Centre for a project focused on addressing the need for accessible digital fluency training, a key employability skill in Canada’s digitally disrupted economy.
“This project will allow Humber to collaborate with more than a dozen partners to provide Ontarians with opportunities for up-skilling and re-skilling needed for success in today’s workforce,” said Chris Whitaker, president and CEO, Humber College. “The digital disruption to the Canadian workforce for individuals and employers and the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on employment, education and re-training makes this project especially relevant.”
Digital fluency skills enable individuals to use and adapt to digital tools, manage information, conduct research and create and communicate effectively and ethically in digital spaces.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre, the two-year "Digital Fluency for the Workforce" project will help support up to 300 individuals through two delivery models. It will help connect those outside of the workforce with employers who are seeking workers with digital fluency skills across many sectors and enhance their digital skills.
"Receiving this funding is recognition of the important difference Humber College makes in the lives of students and in our community,” said Kirsty Duncan, MP for Etobicoke North and Deputy House Leader of the Government. “Through this project, Humber will help people gain valuable digital skills that they need to succeed in the workforce of today and tomorrow."
“The current crisis is creating a great deal of uncertainty for Canadian households and sectors. An economic recovery that works for all Canadians will require that we start to build a skills development ecosystem that is more responsive to the changing realities of workers and employers,” says FSC Executive Director Pedro Barata. “These partnerships will help us map out lasting solutions that will help Canadians across the country recover now and thrive in the years to come.”
Humber will work with a Project Advisory Committee comprised of community and industry partners to develop three stackable Digital Fluency micro-credentials. These micro-credentials will provide a recognized and affordable alternative to help narrow the digital fluency gap in Canada.
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About Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
Humber College is focused on our students' future. As a global leader in polytechnic education, Humber students receive in-depth theoretical learning and hands-on experience with applied research and extensive industry connections. Humber provides career-focused education to more than 33,000 full-time and 23,000 part-time and continuing education students across three campuses. A comprehensive range of credentials including honours undergraduate degrees, Ontario graduate certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships and certificates, prepare career-ready global citizens to move seamlessly from education to employment. More than 86 per cent of Humber graduates are employed within six months of completing their studies. Visit humber.ca.
ABOUT Future Skills Centre
Future Skills Centre is a forward-thinking research and collaboration hub dedicated to preparing Canadians for employment success and meeting the emerging talent needs of employers. As a pan-Canadian community, FSC brings together experts and organizations across sectors to rigorously identify, assess, and share innovative approaches to develop the skills needed to drive prosperity and inclusion. FSC is directly involved in innovation through investments in pilot projects and academic research on the future of work and skills in Canada. The Future Skills Centre is funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program.
For more information, please contact:
Humber College - Media Relations
416.675.5095
mediarelations@humber.ca
Julia Rim Shepard
Director, Strategic Communications
Future Skills Centre
communications@fsc-ccf.ca